


An Empty Note

by werebreakingfree



Series: Live or Die Lance? [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Concerned Keith (Voltron), Gen, Guilt, Lance left the team, Worry, implied suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 20:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/werebreakingfree/pseuds/werebreakingfree
Summary: How the team find out that Lance left them.Please read the first part.. before reading this.Thanks.





	An Empty Note

Keith woke up before his alarm went off; he shuffled out of the bed and went to the bathroom preparing for the day. He always started his day with running some training sequence before breakfast. It was a routine he got used to, to block the stress of being a soldier in space who had the responsibility to save the universe.

 

He arrive the training room within a dobash. "Start the training sequence level 5!" Keith shouted. Three bots fell on the ground and he didn't waste time and start to attack. Fighting had been a way for him to clear his head. It made him focus only on the fight and draw his thoughts out of the war. When he was training he didn't have to worry for his friends. He didn't have to make decisions that could possibly wrong and he didn't feel the pressure of his responsibilities.

 

He swung his bayard hard on the bots, making it step backwards. Keith took the opportunity as he swiftly docked to trip the bot. Before he could beat it the second bot was already behind him swiping a staff. Keith dive and roll to the right to make distance. He made a mistake.

 

He almost didn't realize the other bot sneaking behind him. It made him wonder why. Drawing a huge breath he dashed head on to the third bot on his left. Sparks of metal flew as he met the others swords with his. He pushed his weight forward then sliding the blade to the bots neck. He jumped using the sword in the bot to lift himself successfully avoiding the first bots kick.

 

He yanked his bayard free as he tumbled in the air. Landing on his feet he quickly returned on his stance. The familiarity of the fight sequence made him realize why he made that mistake. It was because of Lance. Keith got used to Lance having his back covered in every fight that sometimes he assumed that he's always with him.

 

Keith smirked at the thought. He never thought he would trust someone enough to leave his back open other than Shiro. The Blue Paladin had been annoying at first but knowing the man during their struggle to keep universe as safe as possible, he realized that Lance and him was a good team.

 

The other boy had proven himself from time to time in their mission. He was agile and quick on his feet, a good shot and could adept in sudden changes of plans. He was glad he was able to talk to him last night. The Blue Paladin had been pulling away for weeks, ever since they snapped at him.

 

The thought brought as bad taste in his mouth, he was still feeling guilty about all of the words he said to Lance. Keith felt the anger he felt that time and poured it at the bots he was fighting. He screamed as he attacked and beat them.

 

Keith was mad at himself for snapping at Lance, the situation was bad and the moment the trap was triggered Keith knew something bad will happened. He really thought that Lance will be shot and it scared him. When it didn't happen nothing had gone better. Keith was so agitated, Hunk was down and Lance seemed not to be himself; someone could have died, Lance could have died. That was when Keith exploded.

 

His words were harsh and full of venom and the moment it escaped his mouth he regretted it. The sight of the Blue Paladin cracking from the inside hurts him. Since then he never get more than a few words from the other Paladin. He jokes less and less, he didn't bite Keith's jabs and he kept on vanishing after trainings and missions. Keith wanted to talk to him but he always gets side tracked with training and their alliance with the Blade of Marmora.

 

That's why having a close to normal bickering with Lance last night gave him a small sense of assurance that the other boy was fine. He planned to talked to him today and apologize. Keith finished the sequence and went to the kitchen; a towel was draped on his shoulders.

 

He found Shiro already on his sit while Hunk was whipping something at the corner, probably food goo. "Morning Keith." Shiro said as he placed his hand on his drink. He just hummed and settled on the table. Pidge entered with a loud yawn before she sat next to Shiro and placed her tab on the table. "Oh Pidge, Keith you're already here." Hunk stated almost to himself as he served the food. 

 

The goo was on a large bowl, it looks pretty normal except for its color. It was blue. Keith scrunched his face at the sight. "Why is it blue?"

 

 "I tried this flavor fruit I got from the last Planet we've been. I put a portion of it in the goo and it just turned blue." Hunk explained with a smile on his face.

 

 "Good morning everyone." Allura greeted them, Coran was behind her. "Coran you should try this!" Hunk quickly walked towards the advisor's seat as the other started to fill their plate with the food. The chatter between Allura and Shiro was drowned by the loud reactions of Coran with the food. Keith kept on glancing at the door expecting Lance to burst in with his crazy smile taking everyone's attention. But after eating half of his food the Blue Paladin didn't come.

 

Keith furrowed his brows further and turned to the other people in the room. None of them noticed that Lance wasn't with them. They're all occupied with each other. Keith realized that he too barely noticed when Lance would barge in the room weather in the kitchen or the commons. He'd just saw him with them when they asked his opinion or when they're dismissed in meetings.

 

It sunk to him how they'd been ignoring the Blue Paladin. Lance's broken look flashed in his mind and he gripped the spoon tightly. "Lance." He whispered to himself. Keith opened his mouth but Shiro cut him off. "Guys, has anyone seen Lance?" The leader stated worry written on his face. "Maybe he's on his way, but sometimes he didn't come for breakfast." Pidge said fixing her glasses. "What?" Keith couldn't stop the single word coming from him; he couldn't believe he just assumed Lance was still regularly coming for breakfast. He wanted to beat himself.

 

"I sometimes bring food for him in his room, though he'd always said he's not hungry." Hunk explained looking hopefully at Shiro. "But Shiro, don't take it on him, Lance was a little bit down lately telling him to follow rules and stuff would only make it worst. I'll talk to him." The panic on the Yellow Paladin's voice can be heard. But Shiro just smiled softly at him.

 

"Don't worry Hunk I'm not going to scold him, I'm just worried about him. I want to make sure he's fine." Shiro stated looking at the door.

 

"I think it's time for us to find out what's going on with Lance. I also noticed how he'd been so quiet lately and it feels so wrong." Allura shared her thoughts her tone going concern. 

 

"But how are we going to do that? Asking him directly would overwhelm him." Pidge joined the conversation.  "Actually, I already tried talking to him but he wasn't opening up to me and I'm his best friend!" Hunk nervously said while he was gripping a table mat.

 

"I'll talk to him." Keith blurted to the team, three humans and two Alteans stared at him. "I had a normal conversation with him last night. I think I can make him a little comfortable to talk to me." He explained with doubt in his plan, but if Lance would respond to him normally then he could shift the conversation and get through to the other man's wall. He had doubts but Lance needed someone right now that's why he had to try.

 

The others seemed to see his determination and agreed with him. "Okay for now, I'll leave it to you Keith, but everyone should give an extra eye for our sharpshooter." Shiro announced with a reassuring smile on his face. "I hope we could help out Lance as soon as possible." Everyone nodded at his words.

 

"I'm glad all of you are willing to seek our Blue Paladin, I know he'll come around as long as he sees that you're all sincere. He's not just a member of this team he's family. Now before anything else, I have to run my quintently scan of the castle." Coran explained as he stood and went to the door. "I'll tell you Keith where you could find my boy."

 

After their discussion, everyone went on their own ways. Hunk decided to check on Lance while Pidge and Keith decided to take charge of cleaning the kitchen. Pidge was silent and it was getting awkward, Keith contemplated if he had to talk to her. The crease on her forehead made him decide. "What are you thinking?" He asked his thoughts directly. Pidge glanced at him uncertain, she sighed and looked forward. "It's just; I may have been too hard with Lance these past weeks."

 

"I blamed him for Hunk's injury and I took it too far. I ignored him and treat him harsher, I-I think I hurt him." Keith never heard Pidge so unsure, as if she was only realizing what she had done. "We're all to blame too, but we can still fix it. We'll talk to him and apologize." He said placing a hand on the other's shoulder, a small smile crept on Pidge face.

 

"Keith?" Hunk's call made the two stared at the door. The Yellow Paladin looks weary. "Hunk, have you seen Lance?" Pidge asked instantly. "That's the problem; he's not in his room. I checked the training room and he's not there too. Would you help me find him?"

 

"Sure buddy, let’s go and-" Keith was interrupted by the voice of Coran from the castle's speakers. "Paladins! Princess! You need to get here at the bridge I have to show you something important!"

 

Everyone rushed towards the bridge, this way Keith was expecting to see Lance in the meeting, because even the Blue Paladin was acting like a ghost in the castle, he always shows up in briefings. They met Allura and Shiro at the door going to the bridge; they acknowledged each other and entered the room. They found Coran busy pressing commands at the screen.

 

"Coran, what made you bring us here? Is it the Galra?" Allura questioned as she saunter towards the advisor's side. Finally Coran faced them with a grim look. "I scanned the scan to check the usual status of the castle ship and found that one of the escape pods is missing." The Altean explained, Pidge seemed to want to tell something but Coran didn't give her a chance. "The activity last night didn't notify the castle's security because it was override by the device we use infiltrating the Galra locks." Coran turned back to the screen.

 

"Only one of us is able to do that." Shiro stated the obvious. "That's why I only find out the anomaly when I run the quintently check-up."

 

"Wait could it be?" Pidge ask weakly.

"Lance!" Hunk said in horror.

 

The time seemed to stop at the bridge; no one said a thing for a tick. "He's not here." Coran muttered under his breath. "He left."

 

"Coran we must open a communication to that pod." Allura waved at the screen bringing up a tab for the command. "I already tried princess but I couldn't reach it." The advisor supplied. "But that's impossible..." The Green Paladin stepped forward. "Unless-"

 

"He removed the receptor or blocked the coms!" Hunk blurted dread filling his stomach. "We don't have ways to track him."

 

"We can't just do nothing! We have to find him!" Keith finally snapped; all he wanted was to get the Blue Paladin in the castle. "Keith is right, we have to do something. Coran, how far can the escape pod travel from this point." He asked the Altean. "Wait, I can make an analysis to predict where he'd be from the time he left up to this moment." Pidge explained as her hand retrieved a plate from her laptop, her fingers typing fast. A frame of her analysis popped on the screen. "He'd be in the radius of two systems from the castle, but the farthest the escape pod could get is three systems." The Greed Paladin swiftly stated.

 

"Thanks Pigde, Paladins to you Lions, we'll search around that perimeter. We don't know why Lance left but that's another reason why we have to get him back. But first he is part of this team." Shiro looked to the eyes of each person in the room. Everyone nodded before running to their Lions.

 

The search was a failure they found not a trail of Lance nor the pod. Keith was frustrated. They spend the whole day trying to get a clue on where would Lance be, but it's all for nothing. Shiro sent them all to rest and be prepared for the next day, saying they should trust that Lance new what he was doing and maybe tomorrow they'd find a lead on his whereabouts. Keith knew that the man only said it for everyone to stay calm.

 

Keith was on his way to bed but he found himself standing in front of Lance's room. He didn't get to contemplate more when the door slides open. He stricken by Hunk's tearful eyes staring at him. One of his hands was clutching a piece of paper. "Hunk, what is that?" Keith asked dumbly more concerned about what the Yellow Paladin found out.

 

"It's Lance, he wrote this before he left." Hunk gave the piece of paper to Keith and read it. 'I'm going back to Earth, please take care of Blue. ;)’ The Red Paladin could only furrow his brows before Hunk hugs him and cried. "Keith he's not coming back." Keith stood awkwardly as Hunk squeezed him tightly he really didn't understand why Lance left, but the note made him feel empty. The short message wasn't like Lance. Hunk continued to cry on his shoulder. "What do you mean Hunk?" He numbly asked. Hunk pulled away with tear stained face.

 

"Keith, he could never reach Earth with that pod, not without a wormhole jump or hyper speed! It's like suicide! If he's on the right mind he would never do that, unless he's... " Hunk didn't continue and sat on the floor as if losing his strength. Keith's mind was racing and by the look on his friend's face he knew something was up.

 

"Hunk! Tell me what you know?" Keith said shaking the other boy. "I saw him Keith, he almost jump on the hanger. If I didn't interrupt he might have done it." Hunk explained with a defeated tone.

 

Keith didn't know what to say, he really never known Lance. But despite all that Lance was the closest to a brother to him aside from Shiro. He just wanted him back so badly so he could apologize and be a better teammate to him. It's like a part of him was empty without Lance in the castle. He put aside all the mixed emotion and focused on one thing. Bring back the sharpshooter.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel unfair not giving any kind of reaction from the team. Originally, they’re supposed to stay mean to Lance but I think it be better if they realize how wrong they are in the end. 
> 
> Expect misunderstanding and forgiveness. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> See you on the next update.


End file.
